Also:

There’s no better sound in the world to me than a cat purring. That gentle rumble is full of such feeling, such extreme happiness, such open and honest love.

As I sit here typing this, Pimp is lying on the couch next to me, just purring away. It’s a constant little motor he’s got going there, but sometimes it turns up a notch and gets louder and more beautiful.

I don’t know if I’m hearing it out of his mouth or his nose or just out of all of him. Sometimes, though, when I look at him and catch him watching me or when I pet his head softly, the purr get more intense and sometimes it spikes up and down and there are louder and softer parts in the same few seconds.

Sometimes it’s almost like a sudden snore the way it kicks up.

So why is a purr worth 1,000 words? Because think about it: Is there any single word in the English language — or any language — that means as much? Is there any word that means love, happiness, contentment, giddiness, satisfaction, comfort, safety, thankfulness, appreciation, relief, joy, and countless other emotions?

A purr is a beautiful thing. So special that even science isn’t 100 percent sure where it comes from (I vote for eighth wonder of the world!). So true that it can’t be hidden (cats can’t suppress a purr like we hide our feelings). So, well, perfect.

Today I think Pimp’s purr is satisfaction and contentment. He’s just had a can of his favorite turkey and salmon food and now he’s having some private couch time with me … without his kid brother, Moo, bothering us. It’s a good night in his world.